GAO-11-46 Troubled Asset Relief Program
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United States Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Addressees GAO January 2011 TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM Third Quarter 2010 Update of Government Assistance Provided to AIG and Description of Recent Execution of Recapitalization Plan GAO-11-46 January 2011 TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM Accountability Integrity Reliability Third Quarter 2010 Update of Government Assistance Highlights Provided to AIG and Description of Recent Execution Highlights of GAO-11-46, a report to of Recapitalization Plan congressional addressees Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found Assistance provided by the Largely due to the federal assistance Treasury and the Federal Reserve Department of the Treasury provided to AIG, as measured by several indicators, AIG’s financial condition (Treasury), under the Troubled has generally remained relatively stable or showed signs of improvement Asset Relief Program (TARP), and since GAO’s last report in April 2010. As of September 30, 2010, the the Board of Governors of the outstanding balance of the Federal Reserve and Treasury assistance to AIG Federal Reserve System (Federal was $123.7 billion, down from $129.1 billion in December 2009 (see table). Reserve) to American International Group, Inc. (AIG) represents one of Overall, federal assistance appears to be facilitating a more orderly the federal government’s largest restructuring of the company. investments in a private-sector institution since the financial crisis Several indicators show that AIGFP has continued to unwind its credit default began in 2008. AIG is a holding swap positions and its portfolio of super senior credit default swaps. Several company that, through its indicators on the status of AIG’s insurance companies illustrate that its subsidiaries, engaged in a broad insurance operations are showing signs of recovery, but federal assistance has range of insurance and insurance- been a critical factor. In particular, in the first three quarters of 2010, additions related activities in the United to AIG life and retirement policyholder contract deposits exceeded States and abroad. withdrawals and the companies’ pretax operating incomes, which increased slightly in 2009 remained positive. AIG’s property/casualty companies have As part of GAO’s statutory remained stabilized. oversight of TARP, this report updates a set of indicators GAO last reported in April 2010. AIG repaid some of its debt to the federal government, but a larger volume of Specifically, GAO discusses (1) activity involved exchanging AIG’s debt on the revolving credit facility trends in AIG’s financial condition, (facility) with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) for federally (2) trends in the unwinding of AIG owned preferred interests in AIG ($40 billion) and AIA Group Limited (AlA) Financial Products (AIGFP) and and American Life Insurance Company (ALICO) special purpose vehicles the financial condition of AIG’s (SPV) ($25 billion). As a result of this shift from debt to equity, which has insurance companies, and (3) the occurred gradually, the authorized amount of the facility has decreased and status of the government’s the amount of preferred equity interests held in AIG and various SPVs for the exposure to AIG. To update the government has increased. For example, as of September 30, 2010, the amount indicators, GAO primarily used of assistance available to AIG through the facility had been reduced to $29.2 available public filings as of billion and the amount AIG owed the facility was reduced to $20.5 billion. September 30, 2010, and more current publicly available Also, FRBNY’S preferred interests in the SPVs created to hold the shares of information; reviewed rating certain foreign life insurance companies—AIA and ALICO—have increased agencies’ reports; and identified nearly $1 billion and the Series F stock held by Treasury has increased more critical activities and discussed than $2 billion since December 31, 2009. Upon the execution of the them with officials from Treasury, recapitalization plan on January 14, 2011, all of the government’s assistance to the Federal Reserve, and AIG. AIG is now in the form of common stock and preferred interests. Consequently, the government’s, and thus the taxpayer’s, exposure to AIG Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and increasingly is expected to be tied to the success of AIG, its ongoing AIG provided technical comments performance, and its value as seen by investors of AIG’s common stock. The that GAO incorporated, as sustainability of any positive trends in AIG’s operations depends on how well appropriate. AIG manages its business, and the government’s ability to fully recoup the federal assistance will be determined by the long-term health of AIG and subject to uncertainty arising from the likelihood of future changes in general economic, regulatory, and market conditions. GAO will continue to monitor View GAO-11-46 or key components. these issues in its future work. For more information, contact Orice Williams Brown at (202) 512-8678 or [email protected]. United States Government Accountability Office Highlights of GAO-11-46 (continued) Overview of Federal Assistance Provided to AIG as of September 30, 2010 Dollar in billions Amount of assistance authorized Outstanding Description of the federal assistance Debt Equity balance Sources to repay the government Implemented Federal FRBNY created a revolving credit facility to provide a $29.175a n/a $20.470 On January 14, 2011, AIG announced Reserve revolving loan that AIG and its subsidiaries could use to that it executed the signed enhance their liquidity positions. In exchange for the recapitalization plan, which stated that facility and $0.5 million, a trust received Series C AIG is using the net cash proceeds from preferred stock for the benefit of Treasury, which gives the recent AIA IPO and the sale of the trust an approximately 79.75 percent voting interest ALICO to MetLife to repay the FRBNY in AIG. revolving credit facility. FRBNY created a SPV—Maiden Lane II—to provide 22.5 n/a 13.656b Proceeds from asset sales in Maiden AIG liquidity by purchasing residential mortgage-backed Lane II will be used to repay the FRBNY securities from AIG life insurance companies. FRBNY loan. provided a loan to Maiden Lane II for the purchases. FRBNY also terminated its securities lending program with AIG, which had provided additional liquidity associated with AIG’s securities lending program when it created Maiden Lane II. FRBNY created an SPV called Maiden Lane III to 30 n/a 14.638b Proceeds from asset sales in Maiden provide AIG liquidity by purchasing collateralized debt Lane III will be used to repay the obligations from AIGFP counterparties in connection FRBNY loan. with the termination of credit default swaps. FRBNY again provided a loan to the SPV for the purchases. AIG created two SPVs, one for AIA and one for ALICO, n/a 25 25.955 On November 1, 2010, AIG announced to hold the shares of certain of its foreign life insurance the completion of an initial public businesses. On December 1, 2009, FRBNY received offering of AIA on the Hong Kong Stock preferred interests in the SPVs of $16 billion and $9 Exchange that generated gross billion, respectively, in exchange for reducing debt AIG proceeds of $20.51 billion. Also, on owed on the revolving credit facility. The SPVs allowed November 1, 2010, AIG announced that AIG to strengthen its balance sheet by reducing debt it had closed on the sale of ALICO to and increasing equity and also were intended to MetLife for approximately $16.2 billion, facilitate dispositions to generate cash for repayment of of which $7.2 billion is in cash. The cash the federal assistance. proceeds will allow AIG to fully repay and close the revolving credit facility on closing of the recapitalization plan. Treasury Treasury purchased Series D cumulative preferred n/a 40 41.605 Proceeds from dispositions of AIG stock of AIG. AIG used the proceeds to pay down part businesses and internal cash flows of of the FRBNY revolving credit facility. Series D stock AIG. was later exchanged for Series E noncumulative preferred stock. Unpaid dividends on the Series D shares were added to the principal amount of Series E stock that Treasury received. Treasury purchased Series F noncumulative preferred n/a 29.835 7.378c Proceeds from dispositions of AIG stock of AIG. Treasury has committed to provide AIG businesses and internal cash flows of with up to $29.835 billion through an equity capital AIG. facility to meet its liquidity and capital needs in exchange for an increase in the aggregate liquidation preference of the Series F shares. Subtotals $81.675 $94.835 Total authorized (debt and equity) $176.510d Total outstanding assistance $123.702 Source: GAO analysis of AIG Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Federal Reserve, and Treasury data. aThe borrowing limit on the revolving credit facility was initially $85 billion, but was reduced to $60 billion in November 2008 and then reduced again to $35 billion in December 2009. The facility was reduced to $34.2 billion by March 31, 2010, to $33.728 billion by June 30, 2010, and to $29.175 billion by October 6, 2010; these reductions were attributed to repayments from proceeds obtained from the sale of various assets and businesses. The authorized and outstanding balances ast of September 30, 2010, shown above, include outstanding principal and exclude accrued interest and fees of $6.182 billion. The AIG loan balance reported in the H.4.1 reflects the outstanding principal balance, capitalized interest, unamortized deferred commitment fees, and the allowance for the loan restructuring, which was initially recorded in July 2009. bGovernment debt shown for Maiden Lane facilities as of September 29, 2010, are principal only and do not include accrued interest of $408 million for Maiden Lane II and $499 million for Maiden Lane III.